Cut-off gear for steam-engines.



No. 692.785. 1 Patented Feb. 4,- I902. W. D. HOOKER.

CUT-OFFGEAR FOR STEAM ENGINES.

(Applietion filed Mar. 16, 1901.\ I

' I '3 Sheets-Shut I.

No Model.)

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.785. Patented Feb. 4, I902.

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CUT-OFF GEAR FOR STEAM ENGINES.

(Applicationfiled Mar. 16, 1901.)

3 Sheets8heet 2.

(No Model.)

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CUT-OFF GEAR FDR STEAM ENGINES.

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3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

THE u unms PETERS co FHOTO-LITHO. WASHINGTON, D. c.

WILLIAM DAVIS HOOKER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

CUT-OFF GEAR FOR STEAM-ENGINES.

EiPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 692,785, datedFebruary 4, 1902. Application filed March 16, 1901- $erial No. 51,541.(No model.)

To all whomfit may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM DAVIS HOOK- ER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Out-Ofif Gearfor Steam- Engines, of which the following is a specification. 1

My invention relatesto cut-ofi mechanism of steam-engines; and thenature of my invention consists in providing and connecting suitablemechanical attachments or devices to a speed regulator or governor of asteamengine and its cut-01f valves, whereby the steam at boiler-pressureis cut off from the steam-engine cylinderat any point of the stroke ofthe engine-piston, thus producing even and steady revolutions of thecrankshaft of the engine throughout the variable loads driven by theengine, the steam acting expansively, in conjunction with the momentumstored up in the fly-wheel, to finish up the strokes of the engine;also, in providing an index operated by the cut-01f gear, so that thedifferent points of cut-off can be seen; also, in providing, inconnection with the cut-off gear, a hand-wheel to adjust the cut-off ofthe valves of the engine should it be required; also, in providing gearsof difierent diameters connecting the valve-gear with the cut-off Valvesof anengine, so that the right and left hand screw that adjusts thepositions of the cut-ofi valves can be reduced in speed as compared withthe speed of the cut-off shaft driven by the governor; also,in.providing wider teeth,in the gear of the cut-off shaft than in thegear of the right and left hand screw, so that in the reciprocations .ofthe screw the teeth of both gears will be in contact, and in certaindevices applied to and connected with a governor of usual construction,all of which will hereinafter be more fully described.

Reference being had to the drawings accompanying this specification, inwhich like numerals represent like parts in all the views, Figure 1 is aside elevation of a steam-engine, showing my improved cutoff-valve gearconnecting a speed regulator or governor of usual construction to thecut-off valves of the engine, the governor and its subbase 27 beingshown in vertical section. Fig.

2 is a plan of the engine, showing its crankshaft, fiy-wheel pulley,eccentrics, and conend elevation of the governor; Fig. 4, an enlargedvertical section of the governor and its subbase, showing the drivingclutch-gears and their clutch and driven gear connected to a governor ofordinary construction, the top of the governor being broken away andshown in Fig. 5; Fig. 6, aview of one cut-off valve and its lug, takenon line 6 6, Fig. 2, in which lug is fitted to slide easily a nut of theright and left hand adjusting valvescrew.

l is. a governor of ordinary construction mounted on subbase 27; 2, thegovernor-spindle, revolved and reciprocated by motion of thegovernor-balls 3; 4:, the clutch which is fastened to the spindle 2; 56, the clutch drivinggears, the gear 5 being journaled in its bearingformed in the base of the governorstand and gear 6 likewise journaled ina bearing in the bottom of the subbase. These gearsfmesh into the drivengear 7. The top of the subbase 27 is bored out a little larger thanthese gears to admit of the gears being easily inserted into thesubbase. The base of the governor proper is turned and faced to fit thissubbase and is secured to the base so as to bring the governor-spindlein alinement with holes in the center of these gears, through whichholes the spindle loosely passes.

8 is a cap secured by screws to the top of the govern or. This cap isopen on its two opposite sides. A screw-thread is formed in its upperend, and a screw 9, engages with this thread. A hand-Wheel 10 serves tooperate the screw. The end of this screw is of a smaller diameter thanthe screw. A coilspring 11 encircles this small end of screw, one end ofwhich rests on the top of the governor-spindle. The other end comes incontact with shoulder of the screw when the screw is set down. Thisscrew when set down to its shoulder 12 will bring the governorballs intothe position as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, when the clutch 4 will be out ofcontact with the pockets of the driving clutch-gears, and these gearswill be while the clutch is in that position motionless, the objectbeing should the governor be out of order or its driving-belt break thecut-off valves could be adjusted by hand while the governor is putinorder. Thegovernor-balls,theirarms,and driving-pulley are of suchproportions as to control the motion of the engine athigh speed, as isusually called six hundred piston-feet speed per minute, and while thegovernor is running the engine could not increase its speed; but as veryoften a high and moderate speed at different times is desired I havedesigned the coil-spring and its screw so that this spring can becompressed a little by the screw,which is the equivalent of usinglighter govern orballs,and the engine will be retarded in speed, asdesired.

13 is a friction-pulley which fits loosely on the driving-shaft of thegovernor; 14, an elastic disk fastened to the pulley; 15, disk-plate.The hole in its hub is grooved and slides on a feather inserted in theshaft.

16 is a nut to tighten up friction. The frictiondisk is adjustedjusttight enonghto drive the governor. Should the governor get out of order,as in case of breakage or excessive friction, the pulley would slip onthe frictiondisk plate, and then the governorclutch could be thrown outof connection with the cut-off gear and the gear be adjusted by hand, asbefore described.

17 is the cut-off shaft, having hand-wheel l8 fastened thereon, anddriven gear 7 keyed onto its end. This shaft passes through itsstuffing-box into the steam-chest of the engine,its opposite endjournaled in a bearing in the chest. The gear 19 is fastened to thisshaft. A sleeve 20 is fitted loosely over this shaft between the gearand the stuffing-box, so the shaft can have an oscillating or rotarymotion, but no reciprocating motion, thereby reducing the friction ofthis shaft to the minimum. This gear 19 has wider teeth than the gear21, so that the teeth of gear 21, which is formed on the right and lefthand screw and reciprocated by an eccentric from the engineshaft, willslide in between the teeth of gear 19, and the screw 22 can be revolvedor oscillated and not interfere with the reciprocating movements of thescrew...

The engine-cylinder has steam and exhaust ports and a slide-valve withsteam-ports through it near its ends and exhaust-cavities and cut-offvalves fitted to it, operated by a right and left hand screw and itsnuts, as is well known and in use.

On the shaft 17, near its stufiing-box, is formed a screw-thread 23. Anindex-arm 24B is screw-threaded in its hub and engages with thescrew-thread on the shaft. The index-arm passes loosely through a slotin index-piece 25, which is fastened to the steam-chest, and

as the cut-off shaft is rotated or oscillated by the governor the pointsof cut-off of the steam in the engine-cylinder can be seen. As thegovernor-spindle is raised or lowered by the centrifugal action of thegovernor-balls the friction-clutch will engage with either one or theother of the friction-pockets in the hubs of the driving friction-gears,which are geared to the driven gear. This will cause the cut-off shaftto revolve or oscillate in one or the other direction, and these motionsbeing transferred to the right and left hand screw, that controls theposition of the cut-off Valves, and eccentric, that gives these Valves areciprocating motion, will cut the steam off from the steam-cylinder atany point of the stroke of the steam-piston, when the expansion of thissteam and the momentum of the fly-wheel of the engine will finish up thestrokes of the engine, thus giving steady and even revolutions to theengine-shaft and effecting a large saving in fuel for steam.

Should the engine for lack of steam-pressu re or overload be retarded inits revolutions be low its normal speed, the governor-balls will fall orcome nearer together. The right and left hand screw, connected, asshown, with the governor, will draw the cut-off valves toward eachother. When the edges of these valves meet, the friction-clutch 4 willslip in the friction-pocket of the driving-gear 5, and the cutoff shaft17 will cease to revolve until the engine again resumes its normalspeed, when the governor-balls 3 will raise orseparate farther from eachother and the clutch t will be lowered and engaged in the pocket ofdrivlug-gear 6, when the cut-off shaft 17 will be revolved in theopposite direction, causing the right and left hand screw 22 to move thecutoif valves away from each other and cut oil the steam from theengine-cylinder, and the engine will then maintain its normal speed.

The g0 vernor-balls and the leverage of their arms are made of such aweight and proportion, and also the diameter and taper of the clutch 4,as to drive the cut-off valves under all conditions of pressure andfriction of the cut-off valves; but as the resistance increases when thecut-off valves meet each other the clutch 4 will slip in itsclutch-pocket until the engine resumes its normal speed.

The right and left hand screw 22 is fitted to revolve loosely on thecut-oif-valve rod. Nuts and check-nuts on this rod prevent lateralmovement of this screw on the rod. The end of this valve-rod isjournaled to slide in a bearing fitted in the steam-chest. The outer endof the valve-rod is connected by an eccentric-rod to eccentric 26 togive the cut- 03 valves a reciprocating motion.

I am aware that taper and fiat friction of dog-clutches applied topulleys, gears, &c., are well known, and I do not claim, broadly, suchclutches; also, that springs applied to governors to accelerate themotion of engines are well known, and I do not claim such a devicebroadly. Modifications within wide limits can be made without departingfrom the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of my invention-as, forinstance, the governor can. be geared direct to the crank-shaft andvarious devices of cut-off valves could be used, all of which willreadily suggest themselves to a practical engineer.

Having thus described my invention, what I do claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is.-

1. In a cut-off gear for steam-engines, thecombination with thecut-off-valve rod of a sleeve adapted to rotate on the sai'drod, andhaving a right and left handed screw engaging the cut-off valves, andhaving atoothed wheel engaged by a toothed wheel on the cutoff shaft,controlled by the governor, substantially as described. v

2. In a'cut-off gear for steam-.enginesithe combination with thecut-off-valve rodl'of a sleeve adapted to rotate on the saidrod, andhaving a right and left handed screwengaging the, cut-off valves, andhaving a toothed wheel engaged by a toothed wheel on thecut- 01fshaft,'and means for rotating the said shaft by hand,substantiallyasdescribed.

3. In a cut-off gear for steam-engines, the

' combination with the cut-off-valve rod of a slotted index-pieceprojecting from the valvecasing, substantially as described.

4. In a cut-off gear for steam-engines the combination of the cut-offshaft 17- connecting the governor to the right and left hand screw 22and its valve-rod connected to eccentric 26 by mechanism as shown of thecap 8- screw 9 having shoulder 12 and hand-wheel 10, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a cut-0E gear for steam-engines the combination of the cut-ofishaft 17 connect- .ing the governor to the right and left hand screw 22and its valve-rod connected to eccentric 26 by mechanism as shown, ofthe cap 8,

,screw.9,.wheel 10 and coiled spring 11, subism as shown of thegovernorepulley 13 disk 14, disk-plate 15 and nut 16, substantially. as

described.

7. Inthe cut-off gear for steameengines the combination with the shaft17.c0nnected1t0 the governor and the cut-off-valve rod con=. nected toeccentric 26 by mechanism-as shown,

of the gear 19 fast to the cut-off shaft in the steam-chest andconnecting with gear 21 of. the right and left hand screw 22,. the gear19v having wider teeth than the, gear 21, substan= tially as described.

Witnesses:

GEO. L. BELFRY, EDWARD. A..FURRELL.

